Welcome to Day #3 of the 21 Day Fix Sneak Peek Group!
I am excited to share with you a video tutorial that will explain current trends with regard to food production and current agricultural practices and how they relate to obesity and chronic disease states. I also will explain to you what clean eating is and why it is so important in today's world considering the current trends taking place in our food industry. You will also learn about the role of Shakeology as part of a clean eating diet within this video. Please watch the below video to learn more!
Let's talk about the 80/20 Rule... What is that??
Most of all, please remember the 80/20 Rule!! What is the 80/20 Rule you ask?? The 80/20 principle is no diet — it's a lifestyle change that can lead to sustainable weight loss. Folks who have suffered on rigid, limiting diets in the past find that this new rule teaches them about balance and moderation, a concept that does not exist with fad diets. The breakdown is simple: 80 percent of the time you focus on eating clean, good-for-you foods, and 20 percent of the time you have the freedom to indulge as you please. Don't be concerned about the math, but it's simple: if you eat three square meals a day, three of those meals every week are your 20 percent cheat meals; if you eat five small meals a day, then seven of those meals could be up for grabs as a cheat meal. The point is to build a lifestyle change that you can stick to and live with for the long haul!! Because think about it.... You can't be 100% ALL of the time, but you can be 80% ALL of the time!! Right??
What about late night snacking? What can I do to STOP??
This was probably my biggest challenge. When I finally would sit down to relax and watch a little TV at the end of full day of work, cooking, cleaning, and finally getting the kids to sleep.... I felt like I had to have a snack to go with that relaxation, like I somehow could not relax at the end of the day without a snack! In my experience, I found that it was better for me to go ahead and allow myself a treat like this in the evening. There are tons of 21 Day Fix approved recipes that will calm your sweet tooth! All I had to do was account for this treat in my overall container allotment for the day and it was totally OK for me to indulge! When you are following the 21 Day Fix meal plan and therefore are eating several small meals and snacks, you can reserve a healthy snack for after dinner and allow yourself this indulgence guilt-free! Some of my favorite snacks to have after dinner are baked banana slices drizzled with honey and cinnamon, chocolate Shakeology, and baked apple slices sprinkled with cinnamon served with greek yogurt. I feel like I am cheating with these treats, but I am not! Also, there are tons of 21 Day Fix approved dessert recipes on Pinterest… check them out and find recipes to suit your taste buds and arm yourself with healthy versions of your favorite treats. Some of my favorite dessert treats are peanut butter cups made with chocolate Shakeology and fudgy avocado brownies! I have shared many of my favorite recipes and treats below!
Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Banana Quesadilla
Total Time: 15 min.
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 5 min.
Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients:
1 (6-inch) whole wheat tortilla
1 Tbsp. all-natural smooth peanut butter
½ large banana, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. dark chocolate (or semi-sweet) morsels
Preparation:
1. Spread half of tortilla with peanut butter.
2. Top peanut butter with banana and chocolate morsels. Fold tortilla in half; cook in medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until chocolate is melted and tortilla is golden brown.
Container Count: 1 1/2 yellow, 1 purple, 3 tsp
Strawberry Banana Ice Cream
Ingredients:
2 medium bananas, cut into 1-inch slices(frozen)
1/2cup frozen strawberries, sliced (You can use any frozen fruit to make this recipe really
2 Tbsp Vanilla Almond Milk (unsweetened)
1/2 tsp vanilla
Instructions:
Place banana slices on a plate, separating each slice. Place slices in freezer for 2 hours (overnight is best!).
Remove strawberries and bananas from freezer and place in food processor, blend until they are the consistency of soft serve ice cream.
Add almond milk(more or less for desired texture)and vanilla and blend until smooth and well-mixed.
Transfer ice cream to a freezer container and freeze until solid.(dont have to wait if fruit is frozen, it is like soft serve ice cream)
Scoop with ice cream scoop and serve.
Calories: 230
21 Day Fix Container Count: 2 Purple
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Banana Cookies
When you are in the mood for something sweet and healthy....Try these yummy treats!! 😀
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup old fashioned oats
1/3 cups chocolate chips (I prefer dark chocolate)
Combine ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Roll into balls, like cookie dough. Bake at 325 for 12 to 15 minutes. Simple and satisfying! Enjoy!
Baked bananas:
Don't let your bananas go bad! Bake them on broil for just a few mins... Sprinkle with cinnamon and drizzle with honey... Yum!!
Fudgy Avocado Brownies
Avocado brownies??? What?!?!? Not only do avocados add a boost of healthy fats, they also intensify the flavor of chocolate and make these brownies ultra rich, and decadent. These gluten-free treats are so fudgy and moist, you won’t even remember how healthy they are! Additionally, one brownie only counts as
1/2 yellow container and 2 tsp on the 21 Day Fix diet! Now, that is my kind of treat!
Total Time: 51 min.
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 36 min.
Yield: 16 servings, 1 brownie each
INGREDIENTS:
Nonstick cooking spray
1 medium ripe avocado, mashed
¼ cup extra-virgin coconut oil, melted
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
¼ cup gluten-free flour
⅓ cup dark chocolate chips
PREPARATION:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Lightly coat with spray. Set aside.
3. Combine avocado, oil, egg, maple syrup, and extract in a medium bowl; mix well. Set aside.
4. Combine cocoa powder, salt, and flour in a medium bowl; mix well.
5. Add cocoa powder mixture to avocado mixture; mix well.
6. Add chocolate chips; mix until blended.
7. Pour batter into prepared pan; spread to make even.
8. Bake for 33 to 36 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
9. Cool for an hour before removing from pan. Cut into 16 squares.
21 Day Fix Container Count: ½ Yellow 2 tsp.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
This recipe is kid tested and husband approved! My kids beg me to make this!! When you are craving chocolate, this is a perfect snack to indulge in... And it is such an excellent way to incorporate the healthiest meal of the day, Shakeology, into your mealplan!
INGREDIENTS: (this will make 8 peanut butter cups):
4 tablespoons of coconut oil
8 tablespoons of chocolate Shakeology
4 teaspoons of natural peanut butter
PREPARATION: Place 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds until the coconut oil is liquefied. Stir in 4 tablespoons of chocolate shakeology. Divide the chocolate mixture evenly between 8 spots in a mini muffin tin. Place in the freezer for 5 minutes.
Pull the muffin tray out of the freezer. Place a half a teaspoon of peanut butter on top of each chocolate disk. Spread the peanut butter evenly over the hardened chocolate with a knife.
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in the microwave. Stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons of chocolate Shakeology in. Use this to pour on top of the peanut butter layer. **You will want to do this in 2 batches so it doesn’t harden up on you while the first layer of chocolate is hardening in the freezer.
Place the muffin tin back in the freezer and leave it in there for at least 30 minutes. The chocolate cups will slide easily out of the tin. Keep the cups stored in the fridge or freezer for the best consistency!
Here is another staple for when my sweet tooth is calling! Check out the recipe for these Frozen Blueberry Bites here! http://pambarefoot.blogspot.com/2016/03/frozen-blueberry-bites.html
Roasted Chick Peas - Great for when you need something salty! Counts as a yellow container. Tastes almost like eating popcorn!! Get the recipe here: http://pambarefoot.blogspot.com/2016/04/roasted-chick-peas.html
Here are a few other snack ideas that are perfect for when cravings hit:
- Baked corn tortillas (torn into strips) with salsa (a clean version or make your own)
- air popped popcorn
- apple slices dipped in crunchy peanut butter (1 blue container size for the peanut butter)
- Kale chips (get my recipe here: http://pambarefoot.blogspot.com/2016/02/kale-chips-recipe-21-day-fix-approved.html )
- Nonfat Greek yogurt mixed with fruit (you can add a packet of stevia if desired)
- Shakeology (it makes a great dessert!)
Here are a few other ideas about how to handle late night snacking. First, we need to get to the root of why we feel the urge or need for this snack each evening. Some common culprits are: food ads while watching TV, boredom, restlessness, insomnia, loneliness, self-denial during the day, nutritional imbalance, grief, self-sabotage or self- punishment, procrastination of a task you dread by eating, and lack of outdoor time.
What are some strategies to combat these common demons?? Set a timer, get out of the house, talk to yourself in the mirror about it, clean the house, listen to your favorite song, get naked, read a book or do your nails, drink water instead, eat healthy and well-rounded meals during the day, try aromatherapy, and try brushing and flossing your teeth right after dinner!
As promised, here are the links to the Facebook testimonials that I told you about in the video:
Sharon ==> https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1157632514280304&set=gm.1550467948595509&type=3&theater
Day #3 is a Wrap!
I hope you enjoyed the content for today and learned something from it! Tomorrow is going to be super exciting as we learn the specifics of the program: How do the containers work? What are the workouts like? Can I really do the workouts? We will also discuss my strategies and secrets regarding meal planning and prepping with the 21 Day Fix. I will share all my secrets for how I succeeded with the day-to-day activities involved with this program. See you tomorrow!